CSX Transportation, which operates the largest rail network in the eastern U.S., rolled its Safety Train to a spot near Greenkill Avenue, equipped with traveling classrooms and specialized equipment designed to teach first responders how rail cars work and how to deal with rail incidents.

CSX hazardous material specialists led training sessions with specific instruction on how crude oil is shipped. About 40 first-responders turned out, from police to firefighters.

"We want to make sure the right information is out there," said Carla Groleau, a CSX spokeswoman.

Standing in front of a tanker car, Marlboro fire Chief Bob Troncillito said the refresher course in handling hazardous materials situations was a good thing.

"You got to know what's in front of you," Troncillito said. "I've been doing this a long time, and the main thing is everyone comes home (after an accident)."

The training and public relations campaign comes as the shipping of unrefined crude from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota has risen significantly in our region since 2011. Derailments and crashes by trains carrying the crude oil in places such as Lynchburg, Va., and Quebec, Canada, have also increased scrutiny by politicians and environmental groups.

Locally, a freight train hauling empty oil tank cars derailed in the Town of Ulster in February, causing no injuries or spills but highlighting safety concerns. There have been five reported derailments of trains carrying crude oil in New York since December, though none of them led to spills.